10 great getaways from Japan’s crowded capital, all within two hours of Tokyo Station.
With so much to see and do in downtown Tokyo, it’s no wonder that so many travelers choose it as their base when visiting Japan, and as Japan’s most populous city, it’s a popular choice for residents too, of course. However, there are times when the Tokyo city center can start to feel a little too hustling and bustling, or just general wanderlust starts to kick in, and you find yourself craving a day trip out of the capital.
So when that mood hits, there’s Japanese travel portal Jalan’s new ranking of the 10 best day trips from downtown Tokyo, as compiled from survey answers from 1,031 respondents between the ages of 20 and 59 living in Japan’s eastern Kanto region. All of the destinations are within two hours by train of Tokyo Station, so let’s hop on the figurative train and see where the survey results take us.
10. Sawara historic district (Chiba Prefecture)
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We start off by heading to Tokyo’s neighbor to the east, Chiba Prefecture. Sawara is a neighborhood within the city of Katori, and it’s also known as “the little Kyoto of northern Chiba” because of its rows of preserved buildings. In particular, the area along the canals where trade flourished during the Edo period (1603-1867) is not to be missed, with boats carrying passengers up and down the waterways as their guides explain the local history and culture.
9. Tobu Zoo (Saitama Prefecture)
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Tobu Zoo actually describes itself as a “hybrid leisure land,” since there’s more to the place than just the zoo where a penguin became an otaku and fell in love with an anime character. There’s also a theme park with full-size roller coasters, a summertime swimming pool, and illumination displays on winter nights.
8. Hitachi Seaside Park (Ibaraki Prefecture)
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We’ve been fans of Hitachi Seaside Park for a while. The hills at the back of the park are always worth strolling to the top of to take in the view of the surrounding area, but especially so in fall, when the tens of thousands of kochia bushes turn a dazzling shade of crimson, or in the fall when the similarly sized area of baby-blue Nemophilia flowers come into bloom.
7. Funabashi Anderson Park (Chiba Prefecture)
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The stories of Hans Christian Andersen are well loved in Japan, and this picturesque park in the Chiba countryside seeks to recreate the charm of a Danish village. In addition to the eye-catching windmill there’s a petting zoo and obstacle courses, flower gardens, and a lake with rowboat rentals, as well as seasonal events like a European-style Christmas market.
6. Fujiko F. Fujio Museum (Kanagawa Prefecture)
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Fujiko F. Fujio is the collective pen name of the artists who created Doraemon, and this museum, located in Kawasaki, is dedicated to the iconic anime/manga robot cat. With hundreds of pieces of artwork and whimsical photo spots, this is a must-visit for fans of the series, but be aware that the museum is popular enough that advance reservations are required.
5. Cup Noodle Museum Yokohama (Kanagawa Prefecture)
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With instant ramen being such an integral part of Japanese food culture, it’s easy to forget that its invention is actually a fairly recent thing. The Cup Noodle Museum traces the history of its development, with historical displays, photos, and videos covering the innovative solutions to the challenges instant ramen faced on its way to market, and also allows you to make your own unique cup of instant ramen, blending the flavors and ingredients for a combination that’s exactly what you’re craving.
4. Enoshima (Kanagawa Prefecture)
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“Shima” means island in Japanese, but there’s now a bridge that connects Enoshima with the mainland, meaning that you can stroll right on over to it and explore its winding walkways that go up and over the mountain, passing by souvenir shops, old-school seafood restaurants, modern cafes, and Shinto shrines before arriving at the cave network at the back of the island (or just take a tour boat there if you want to skip the walk).
3. Shibamata Taishaketensando (Tokyo)
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Wait a second, wasn’t this supposed to be a list of the best day trips from Tokyo? Yes, you could argue, based on semantics and strict geography, that this shopping street stretching from Shimabata Station to Shimabata Taishakuten temple doesn’t technically belong on the list. However, it’s far outside the city center (about 50 minutes from Tokyo Station) to still feel like you’ve taken a trip to another town, especially in terms of atmosphere. The 200-meter (656-foot) long shopping street feels like a preserved pocket of Japan from two or three generations back, with hundred-year-old shops selling senbei rice crackers, kusadango dumplings, and other traditional foodstuffs. It’s also been used as a filming location in the Tora-san/Otoko wa Tsurai yo movie series, giving it some added appeal to Japanese cinema buffs.
2. Enoshima Aquarium (Kanagawa Prefecture)
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We’re back at Enoshima again, but this time staying on the mainland coast across from the island itself. The facility’s main tank, focused on sea life from Sagami Bay, is home to some 10,000 fish, and the aquarium is also famous for its wide variety of jellyfish.
1. Kawagoe Candy Shop Alley (Saitama Prefecture)
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And finally, the top-ranked day trip from Tokyo, which takes us to the town of Kawagoe. A center of culture and commerce since the Edo period, Kawagoe boasts a preserved warehouse district and other historical attractions, but the sweetest one of all is the stretch of streets known as Kashiya Yokocho, or Candy Shop Alley. The focus here is traditional and old-school Japanese confectionaries, of both the elegant and kid-friendly variety, and there’s so much variety on offer that even pre-existing Japanese sweets fans are sure to find a new treat to fall in love with.
Source: Jalan, PR Times
Images: PR Times
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